Himene are formal choral Tahitian songs, often of religious nature. Himene is a Tahitian term derived from the English word hymn. The first Western explorer to visit the Society Islands / Tahiti was Wallace, who claimed them for England. The first colonisers and missionaries to the native people were thus English Protestants. Himene are based in verse and harmonic structure on Protestant hymns. A more raucous set of songs is called himene tarava

Himene tarava

Himene tarava is a style of traditional Tahitian music, sung a cappella in a highly rhythmic style by polyphonic choirs. The word tarava means to be spread out, to be gathered...

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(See imene tuki

Imene tuki

An Imene tuki 'hymn of grunts' is a traditional hymn of the Cook islands. It is unaccompanied singing noted for a drop in pitch at the end of phrases, and rhythmic nonsensical syllables, comparable to Scat singing. Similar nonsense syllables and improvisations are found in Tahitian Himene tarava....

and imene metua

Imene metua

Imene metua: a Cook Islands / Rarotongan term; : they are formal traditional songs with tune and harmony, which are distinguished from the imene tuki style of the Cook Islands which are less formal, often grunted verses with nonsense syllables included for rhythmic effect....

of the Cook Islands / Rarotonga).